Shipping Madness x30!
by Magnificent Mega Ampharos
Summary: My ficlets/oneshots/drabbles that I write for the "30 Days of Shipping Madness" fanfic challenge. All of my entries will be for the lacewoodshipping paring. Currently rated K , but may change if needed.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hi everyone! How's life? I hope good things are happening for you or are heading your way soon.

I'm taking on the "30 Days of Shipping Madness" challenge that I saw on tumblr, mostly because I want to write but inspiration has been low lately. So ... yeah. I'll post each ficlet/oneshot/drabble I write for the challenge as a new chapter, but I can't guarantee that I'll get them up on the dot every day since I'm busy in real life with family obligations and a new job. If you're interested in specifics about this fanfic challenge, PM me. As usual, constructive criticism is appreciated and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**ONE**

_The classic first meeting. Character A meets Character B—but, what is really going on in their minds that the initial story didn't tell us? And what happened right after, where we couldn't see?_

Serena ordered her usual cup of coffee, as well as a lemon flavored Pokepuff. While she stood to the side and waited for her order to be filled, she looked out at the café around her, towards the table where she had told Eevee to stay. Café Soleil was practically empty on this particular early afternoon, currently occupied by herself and two teenagers who sat in a corner booth with their frappucinos and their Holo Casters. Eevee sat at the foot of one of the chairs at that small table, watching Serena eagerly for a little while before surveying the rest of his surroundings.

"Here you go, miss," the barista said as she placed a latte and the Pokepuff on the counter. Serena thanked the barista and picked up both items, carefully carrying them to the table so that her drink wouldn't slosh and spill. She noticed that the barista had used the foam in the latte to draw a Skitty. That was some genuine artistry right there, she thought.

She set the coffee and the Pokepuff down on the table, making sure to lay down a napkin on which to set the Pokepuff. Now that he had seen the Pokepuff, Eevee yapped in excitement, wagged his tail, and looked up at Serena with bright eyes. With a chuckle, Serena reached down to scoop up Eevee and set the small Pokemon in her lap.

"This is for you, since you've been such a good boy!" Serena said in a sappy sweet voice as she fed the Pokepuff to Eevee. Eevee gobbled it up happily, and then continued to look up at Serena in anticipation.

"That's it. I don't have another one. Sorry!" Serena informed him. She reached past Eevee to pick up her cup of coffee. Meanwhile, Eevee turned his head very dramatically to stare at the counter.

"If you want another one, go order and pay for it yourself," said Serena. True, she could get another Pokepuff for Eevee, but she didn't want to spoil him too much.

Someone else entered the café: a tall man with thick, wavy black hair, who wore a white lab coat over his slender frame. Serena noted that his pants were a little too short – short enough to give her a glimpse of his bright red socks. He had darted in so quickly that Serena didn't get a chance to see his face and estimate his age, but she didn't mind. She was too preoccupied with his hair and her fantasies of combing her fingers through it.

This man turned to the side after placing his order, and Serena noticed that he carried a Gible in his arms. She also saw his face at profile, and never had she thought gray eyes could be so beautiful. She was soon struck by how good-looking he was – but he also looked like he was in his late twenties or early thirties. Easily ten years older than her, possibly more.

But should age matter, she asked herself. She was nineteen after all, legally an adult and over the age of consent everywhere in the Six Regions. As a Pokemon Trainer, she had a source of income. And her mom had always commented about how mature she was for her age, so why wouldn't she be a good match for an older man? Then again, what were the odds of her actually communicating with this man, a stranger in a café? Wishful thinking, that's all it was.

The barista soon set out this man's order: some hot drink in a mug that was giving off lots of steam, and a large plate stacked high with Pokepuffs of ever flavor imaginable. Gible gargled in excitement when he saw the plate of Pokepuffs … and Eevee wriggled loose from Serena's grasp.

"Eevee!" Serena called out as she set down her coffee and prepared to pounce. It was too late, though: just as the man picked up the plate of Pokepuffs with one hand while holding Gible in the other arm, Eevee jumped at him, trying to get the Pokepuffs. Eevee wound up jumping high enough to accidentally headbutt the man in the stomach, sending him falling backwards into the counter and the Pokepuffs cascading through the air to the ground. The plate hit the floor and shattered to pieces, and Gible landed on top of its human.

Serena dashed forward towards the scene, watching as Eevee gobbled up a lemon Pokepuff. The man's Gible hissed at Eevee, displeased that one of its treats had been stolen from it. Right before Gible could try and bite Eevee, Serena lunged in and scooped up her Pokemon.

"Eevee NO!" she said sternly. Meanwhile, the man slowly sat upright while Gible kept hissing angrily at Eevee. Eevee barked back, and didn't stop until Serena pulled out a Pokeball and recalled him. She then crouched down to be eye-level with the man. "I am so sorry about that," she said, reaching for a nearby Pokepuff with the intent of gathering them all up. Gible hissed at her, so she withdrew her hand.

"Don't worry about it," he said, giving her a small crooked smile. Why he had to do that, Serena wondered. She wanted to faint on the spot, like women did in cheesy movies anytime they saw a particularly handsome man.

"I – um – uh – um …." Serena felt the need to say something, but she was at a loss for words. She probably sounded like an idiot to him.

"Young Pokemon are greedy when it comes to sweets, I know," he said, picking up a Pokepuff and offering it to Gible. "There's a Chespin at the lab who's always stealing my chocolate."

That's when Serena remembered: there was a laboratory in Lumiose City. Perhaps he worked there. Handsome _and_ smart … he had to be perfect.

"Have you ever considered putting it up high where Chespin can't reach it?" suggested Serena jokingly.

"I did, and then Chespin learned Vine Whip."

Serena giggled, and then she felt her face warm up. Was she blushing? She better not be blushing.

"My name's Augustine, by the way. Professor Augustine Sycamore," he said, extending his hand for a handshake. Serena took his hand in her own and shook it firmly.

"Serena Carlyle," she said.

"Serena," he repeated softly, his eyes twinkling. "_Un belle nom pour une belle femme."_

"Sorry? I'm afraid my Kalosian's not that great."

"Ah! My apologies." Augustine cleared his throat, and Serena thought she saw his cheeks grow pink. "I mean, would you like to help me clean up this mess?"

Right on cue, the barista had arrived with a broom and dustpan to clean up the remains of the plate. Augustine insisted that Gible would eat the Pokepuffs even though they had been on the floor, so he and Serena gathered them all up and took them to the table where Serena sat. Augustine went back for his drink, then sat at the seat opposite of her. Serena noticed that he had pitch black coffee in that cup. The coffee gave off lots of steam as well as a pleasing aroma.

"So you work at the laboratory here in Lumiose?" asked Serena conversationally.

"That's correct. Mega Evolution is my main research focus, although other scientists at the laboratory work in other fields. Overall, we're dedicated to improving humanity's collective understanding of Pokemon, and how we can best coexist with them." Augustine explained, and then he took a sip of his coffee. "How about you, Serena? Are you in school right now?"

"I'm a Pokemon Trainer, actually," said Serena. "I have one Gym Badge so far."

"That's very good!" Augustine exclaimed.

"You really think so?" Serena didn't consider one out of eight badges very impressive, especially since her only companions thus far were her Froakie and her Pidgey.

"_Oui._ That's how many badges I have, to tell the truth," admitted Augustine.

"Decided that science would be a better option for you than being a Trainer?"

Augustine nodded pensively. "Technically, I still am a Trainer. I started out when I was about your age, but then I reached Shalour City and quickly realized I didn't have what it takes to be competitive. My three partners are still with me, though." He had another drink, and then patted Gible on the head. "Serena, would you like to come by my lab tomorrow? Since you're a Pokemon Trainer new to the Kalos Region, I would like to share what I know about Mega Evolution with you."

"I'd love to!" she said instantly. That next day was supposed to be for training and perhaps catching some more Pokemon, she then remembered. Regardless, she didn't want to say no to him.

"_Très bien! _Also, I would like to challenge you to a battle. Don't worry, I'm not that good. In fact, I may have to plead you to go easy on me. If you win, I'll let you take another Pokemon with you on your journey. I'll let you choose from Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander."

"I've always wanted a Charmander! You're on!" she said confidently. "But what if _you_ win?"

"I will never ever let you leave my laboratory." Augustine said darkly. After a beat of silence, not long enough for Serena to decide how she felt about that statement, he said "Just kidding. If I win, I'll treat you to coffee."

"Seems fair," said Serena. Her Holo Caster then beeped, and she checked it to see that she had a text message. "It's my friend Shauna," she explained hastily. "She wants to meet up in ten minutes … I should probably get going."

"So soon? It feels as if the time has flown by," commented Augustine.

"It has," agreed Serena as she stood up and grabbed her purse. "And it was really nice to meet you, Augustine. I'll see you tomorrow."

"_À bientôt!"_ Augustine called after her as she darted out the door of the café.

Unsure of whether or not she was going in the direction she needed to go to find Vernal Avenue (where Shauna waited for her) Serena thought of Augustine, his Gible, and those lovely gray eyes of his. The prospect of spending an afternoon shopping at Boutique Couture with Shauna sounded fun, but now she could not wait for tomorrow to come.


	2. Chapter 2

**TWO**

_The first date is always important to make impressions. Character B has found the courage to ask out Character A out on a date—probably hooked themselves up with a sweet boom box, found the perfect pebble to hit their window with, and is ready to unleash some sweet (but romantic) beats while standing under Character A's bedroom window. Yet when it turns out Character A has another romantic interest in the picture, what will Character B do to retaliate?_

* * *

Bouquet of pink roses in hand, Augustine walked out of the florist's shop and down Estival Avenue, eyes scanning for the modern-looking apartment building lost in a sea of historic architecture. He finally saw it: while the homes around it looked soft and curved in comparison with their old beige bricks, the apartment building stuck out like a white-and-silver boxy sore thumb.

His Holo Caster rang, and he answered it to see Sina's holographic image.

_"Where are you, Professor? It's ten past nine!"_ she reminded him.

"I thought I told you I'd be coming in late today," said Augustine.

_"Oh, that's right! Sorry! Dexio told me you'd be having brunch with someone who could be a great asset to the lab."_

"That's right," Augustine affirmed. He wondered how Sina would react if she knew that the "great asset to the lab" was supposed to be Serena, or that Augustine hoped this brunch could be a date or something like it, or that he hadn't even asked Serena to join him yet.

_"Anyway, I hope it goes well. They better be someone rich, who can give us lots of money. I'll finally stop pestering you about getting a raise."_

Augustine chortled appreciatively, hoping he didn't sound too nervous. "I'll tell you all about it later, Sina." With that, he hung up and entered the apartment building.

He had only been to Serena's apartment in Lumiose once before, when he helped her move in. She had told him that he was welcome any time he wanted – that justified his early morning visit and invitation to brunch, right? What if she was still asleep, or out training already, and he missed her? He could always call to see if she was there or not.

For a few minutes, Augustine stood in the bright yet minimally decorated lobby, looking at the bouquet of roses in one hand and his Holo Caster in the other. He should just call her, he thought. That would be the polite thing to do. Then again, he was already here, so he should try her room. Or … he could just leave. He could go enjoy a nice brunch by himself and then report to the lab, and tell Sina some cock-and-bull story that would disappoint her but at least get her to shut up. In the meantime, he'd leave the flowers here, for Serena. They'd be from a secret admirer, naturally.

Why was he letting her control his thoughts and behavior like this? At first his fascination with her was purely innocent: she was an attractive, confident girl who was a very good Trainer and excellent at conversation. She was so passionate about Pokemon and battling that it made him want to feel some of that passion in his own life. And that smile of hers – when he was on the receiving end of it, he felt like he could fly to the moon and back. Fascination had soon turned to infatuation, and he still couldn't pinpoint the exact moment when the switch happened. It was if he had lived his entire life feeling this way about her, even if the two of them had only known each other for a few weeks.

"Professor! Hello!"

Augustine jumped and looked for the source of that voice: the elevator. It was Serena's voice. His heart immediately started pounding, and his face felt so hot.

Serena stepped out of the elevator, wearing a purple T-shirt and blue jeans with her hair tied back, but looking as pretty as she did the day he met her. She smiled when she saw him, and then he noticed someone else get off the elevator with her: her friend Calem. His heart sank.

"Good morning, Serena," he replied, suspecting that things were about to be very awkward. He quickly hid the bouquet of roses behind his back. "And Calem," he greeted the boy.

"Hey, Professor Sycamore!" said Calem congenially. "What are you doing here?"

"I was, erm, actually here to see you … Serena … to see if you'd be interested in discussing some of the latest research on Fairy-types over brunch." He alternated between looking into her eyes and down at his feet. Asking someone to share brunch shouldn't be this hard or nerve-wracking, so why was it? Then again, she and Calem were likely involved by the looks of it … his nerves had been for nothing.

"I'd love to, Professor, but Calem and I are on our way to the Lumiose Gym to challenge Clemont. Maybe some other time?" Serena glanced past him, staring at something with scrutiny. Calem watched her with curiosity.

"Oh, sure! My, uh, the research isn't going anywhere. Anyway," Augustine stepped to the side and used his free hand to gesture towards the door. "Good luck to the two of you! Be electrifying!"

Serena chuckled appreciatively at his bad pun, then glanced around again to see what was behind him. She and Calem then said "Bye! See you later!" to him before heading on their way out of the apartment. The last thing Augustine saw her do was pull out her Holo Caster and type a text message.

He stood there, dumbfounded and his thoughts racing. Of course she'd pick Calem. He was her age, after all. The two had a love for battling in common, and they'd go far together. Augustine was a fool, thinking that Serena would ever want a man like him, a man who took his work very seriously and wasn't very good at battling and couldn't even keep track of what his best friend was doing. Perhaps he should worry less about getting a date with Serena, and worry more about Lysandre, who had taken up spouting out troubling rhetoric about beautiful worlds and people he considered "filth."

His Holo Caster pinged, and he saw a text message from Serena: _If those flowers are for me, leave them outside my door and I'll get them later. :)__  
_

A smiley face? What did the smiley face mean? Was she pleased about the flowers, even though she was with Calem? Confused, Augustine took the elevator up to the floor where her apartment was, left them outside her door, then went on his way.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, Augustine sat at his desk, trying to compose an e-mail for Professor Juniper in Unova. However, his mind was too distracted with what he was going to say later at Café Lysandre. What would be a tactful way to talk to his friend about these delusions of grandeur and his willful association with that group who called itself Team Flare? So many men and women in garish red outfits were hanging out at Lysandre's café these days; they were people who often talked about committing crimes and owning the world, and Augustine wondered if Lysandre knew what all these people were up to.

One more distraction soon arrived. He heard the elevator door open, and a few seconds later, Serena appeared around the partition. He looked up at her and smiled instinctively.

"Hey, Aug- I mean, Professor," she said, tentatively approaching his desk.

"Serena," he said with a nod. "You can just call me Augustine. How did your battle with Clemont go?"

"Pretty well," said Serena as she held up her Voltage Badge. "Swept his whole team with Lucario!"

"Excellent work! Did you use Mega Evolution at all?"

"I did against his Heliolisk," she answered.

There was a brief moment of quiet, during which Serena put the Voltage Badge in her case which held her other Gym Badges. Surely she didn't just want to stop by to show off her new badge, he thought. Something else had to be on her mind - the flowers, perhaps?

"Nothing's going on between Calem and me," she said randomly.

"_Quoi?_" One of his worst fears was just confirmed to be not true, but was weird to Augustine that he actually heard it.

"We were just talking battle strategy against Clemont over breakfast this morning. I actually think he likes Shauna, but you didn't hear that from me."

Augustine chortled, feeling a little calmer. "Serena, it astounds me that you think I would be interested in who among your circle of friends is involved with whom," he said, trying to be casual and aloof. "Or that you would think it would affect me in any way."

"Please, Prof- I mean Augustine." Serena raised an eyebrow, evidently not buying his pretend aloofness. "No brunch invitation involves a bouquet of pink roses unless the inviter intends for the brunch to double as a date with the invitee."

"All right, you got me." Augustine felt his face get hot again. "I wanted to take you out on a date. Well, come to think of it, I still do." With that, he averted his eyes away from her and looked down at his keyboard. He would gladly let time stop or the universe implode at that very moment.

Serena took a step closer to his desk. "I'm free the rest of the day," she said casually.

"I-ah-" The words he had meant to say soon escaped his mind. At this point, he hadn't really expected her to be up for it. Then again, she had accepted his flowers, with a little electronic smiley face no less. How could he have been so dense, to not see that she liked him back?

"Dinner tonight, at Restaurant Le Yeah? I'll pay," Serena offered.

"Ah, _non, chèrie,_ I'll pay," said Augustine as he jumped out of his chair and closed the top of his computer. Professor Juniper could wait.

"Okay!" she said, and she flashed that smile at him that made the world a brighter place. He couldn't help but smile back.

"Let's go," said Augustine as he reached for the white coat draped on the back of his chair.

"It's three thirty in the afternoon. A little early for dinner, don't you think?" said Serena.

"Yes, but first I need to stop by Café Lysandre and meet with a friend of mine. Care to join me? I think you'll find him interesting." Maybe Serena could help him talk to Lysandre ….

"I'd like that," answered Serena.

Augustine slid his coat on and then made his way towards the partition, making sure Serena walked in step with him the whole way. It was actually happening, he told himself. The date he wanted ever since he first met her was actually about to happen. This date could lead to a second one, and a third one, possibly a relationship, maybe even marriage – whoa now, he thought. He was getting carried away. At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder if the girl sharing an elevator with him was thinking the same things – was she mentally planning their wedding or naming their children? He did and did not want her to do that, both at the same time, if only because he wanted a say on desserts at the reception and he thought Jacqueline would be a darling name for a girl.

Now _he_ was getting carried away.


	3. Chapter 3

**THREE**

_Character A has suffered a tragic loss—a death of a friend, a relative, etc.—and is struggling to handle the stress of grief. Character B finds Character A broken and in a dark place and must find some way to handle the situation, or maybe even they cannot help them._

* * *

The spare key was under the welcome mat, just as he said it would be. Serena used it to unlock the door to his apartment, while precociously holding a brown paper bag in her other arm.

She had just recently become Kalos League Champion, and it seemed like Augustine got the entire region to turn out to celebrate this achievement, which also closely coincided with when her and her friends thwarting Team Flare's plan. The parade had been great (and unexpectedly touching when AZ and his Floette reunited) and the parties nonstop rowdy fun, but the last shindig had tired her out. She was ready for a break from celebrity and paparazzi, and to have her own private little celebration.

"Augustine! I'm here!" she announced as she walked into his apartment. The first thing she noticed was all the clutter: dishes in the sink and stacked on the counter, books and papers strewn all over the coffee table in the living room, and a red sock on the floor. There was no sign of Augustine in the living room or kitchen – perhaps he was already in the bedroom, waiting for her.

"Augustine?" Serena called again. After slipping off her heels and adding them to the bundle in her arms, she tiptoed through the living room to the hallway – his bedroom door was open.

She heard a sniffle, followed by a small whimper.

Peeking inside the open bedroom revealed Augustine curled up on the floor next to his bed, his shirt unbuttoned and a framed picture in his hand. His eyes and nose were red and splotchy, and his face was wet from tears.

"Are you okay?" Serena set down the brown paper bag and her shoes and rushed to his side, kneeling down next to him and getting a glimpse of the framed picture he held. Teenage Augustine, with a severely short haircut, stood next to another young man his age with long red hair tied back in a ponytail. Both boys had an arm around the other's shoulders, and they smiled at the camera. At first she didn't recognize the other subject of the picture, but then she recognized his blue eyes. Those same blue eyes, that only weeks previously had glared at her with a fiery, deadly intensity ….

Augustine wiped his eyes and then looked over to Serena timidly. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this," he said hoarsely.

"No, no, it's fine," said Serena soothingly as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

He looked down at the picture again, and his eyes glistened with freshly forming tears as his lower lip shook.

"It's not fine!" he wailed. "He's gone, and I couldn't stop him – I didn't even try – oh – Serena – he was my friend …."

"Come here." Serena leaned forward and took him into her arms, letting him sob into her shoulder as she ran her fingers through his hair. In turn, Augustine held onto her for dear life, as if she was a lifeline that would keep him from falling away.

She thought of his behavior in Couriway Town, shortly after Geosenge, as well as how exuberant he was at the parade. How stressful it must have been, to put on such masks around others, to publicly condemn someone he loved and cared about after they've committed heinous crimes. It seemed natural to her that he bottled up his grief and emotions, only to spill them out in the comfort of his own home.

Augustine soon pulled himself away, sniffled again, and averted his face away from her as he wiped it dry.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to get you some water," said Serena as she stood up. She walked into the kitchen, looked through cabinets until she found a clean wine glass, and filled it with water from the faucet before taking it back to him. Augustine took a small drink of water upon receiving it.

"Thank you," he mumbled, rearranging himself so he sat upright. Serena sat down next to him and watched as he stared into the space before him, lost in thought. She wanted to know what all he was thinking and feeling, yet she knew that it was up to him whether or not to share.

"I don't even feel right grieving for him," Augustine admitted in a soft voice.

"But he was your friend, wasn't he?"

"Yes, he was … but given all he planned to do, and how I didn't even try to take action until it was too late … it's my fault."

"No it's not," Serena told him. Augustine didn't respond. She was tempted to add something about Lysandre being delusional or dangerous in his own right, but she knew it wouldn't be very tactful.

"We … we talked about making the world a better place, back in our university days. Grand plans for cleaning up the environment and making sure there were enough resources and ways to care for Pokemon who needed some extra care. All that charity work and philanthropy he did once he got rich overnight – it went to waste, like that! He grew _so_ frustrated that things weren't changing as fast as he wanted them to … but how does frustration turn into murderous intent?"

Serena didn't have an answer for him.

"I'm sorry, _chérie_, to burden you like this." Augustine added.

"No, you're not burdening me, don't say that." As she finished speaking, her Holo Caster beeped. She checked it to see a text message from Shauna: _Where'd you go?_

Serena responded and then turned off the device. _Feeling tired, so I decided to call it a night._

"Do you need to go?" Augustine asked her.

Serena shook her head. "I'm staying here, if you want me to."

"Please, do. It's been lonely."

She nodded, and gave him a small smile. Augustine gulped down some more of his water, and then he reached for her hand, only to miss it by an inch.

"What's in the bag?" he asked, gesturing to the brown paper sack on the floor next to the bedroom door.

"Oh, that? Um, necessities … I thought tonight was going to go a little differently," she replied, thinking about the bottle of champagne, her pajamas, and pack of condoms inside the bag.

"Anything to drink?"

Serena eyed him cautiously. "There is champagne, but it's for celebrations. I don't think you having any alcohol right now is a good idea anyway."

"You're right, it isn't. Perhaps tomorrow night we can enjoy the contents of that bag. Right now, I don't feel much like celebrating."

"I understand," said Serena.

Augustine checked the time on his watch. "_Mon dieu_, one in the morning. I'd ask you to stay the night if you had a change of clothes," he said, looking at her lavender party dress she was wearing.

"I brought pajamas with me. You get ready for bed while I change," she told him as she got up. She had to wriggle her hand free from his, and he let out a small whimper when she did.

A minute later, Serena had changed into the tank top and sweatpants she wore as pajamas and washed off her makeup to the best of her ability using only the hand soap in Augustine's bathroom. She went back into the bedroom to find him sitting in his bed, under the covers, and tears cascading down his cheeks once more.

"Oh, Augustine," she said, crawling into bed next to him and letting him rest his head on her shoulder. Both of them soon wrapped their arms around the other, and Serena rocked him back and forth as he cried silently.

"I'm so lucky to have you," he mumbled. Serena's mouth twitched slightly, as if she was going to smile. From there, she laid the two of them down so that she was on her back, with his head tucked underneath her chin and resting on her collarbone. She kept her arms around his neck and shoulders, and she stroked his hair with her fingers until she heard soft, even breaths coming from him.

Serena kissed the top of his head, enjoying how his soft hair tickled her nose, and then closed her eyes. It seemed odd, comforting Augustine as he wept for a man that tried to kill countless people and Pokemon, but she knew he needed it. And, given her participation in the events at Geosenge, Serena couldn't help but feel just a little responsible for everything.


	4. Chapter 4

**FOUR**

* * *

_It's Valentine's Day! Too bad Character B entirely forgot—and Character A is going to be coming home in only an hour. No matter how cheesy and terrible, now is the time to try and get something put together before Valentine's Day turns into the opposite of lovey-dovey._

* * *

Waking up to see sunshine coming through the windows on the west wall of the bedroom was disorienting. Augustine opened his eyes once the sunlight disturbed them, and he rolled over to look at the clock on his nightstand. It was four forty-five in the afternoon.

"Ah, _merde,_" he groaned as he sat up and pushed the covers off of himself. He had granted himself a glorious day off after a long, hard, late night at work, and he wasted it by sleeping. Not to mention that this would probably disrupt his whole sleeping schedule. He would probably be wide awake all through the night and feel like settling down for a nap after lunch the following day.

He couldn't even remember what day it was. He reached for the Holo Caster and checked the time and date display. When he saw it was the fourteenth of February, he just placed the device back on the nightstand without even a second thought … and then he remembered why the fourteenth of February was important.

It was Valentine's Day.

Serena was due to arrive in his apartment at six o'clock, a little more than an hour away.

Although he knew the appropriate thing to do would be to spring to action, Augustine merely flopped his body back down on the bed. There was no way he could conjure up a magical romantic evening in that short of time, but he thought about at least taking a shower.

Augustine lay pathetically on the bed for a few minutes, only bothering to rouse himself when he heard something rip in another room. He scrambled to his feet and left his bedroom, following a trail of shredded cardboard and crumbs leading from the kitchen to the living room. Gible sat on the living room floor, munching away at some Pokepuffs, as well as the cardboard box that had held them.

"Gible …." he groaned, tempted to chastise the small Pokemon (who was usually better-behaved) for making a mess. Gible let out a gargly cry that sounded defensive and resentful.

"I'm sorry, _mon petite ami,_" said Augustine, "but we need to get this cleaned up." He went through the living room and kitchen, picking up the shreds of cardboard and crumbs to throw away. From there, he set Gible and the remaining Pokepuffs from the box on the dining table, hoping that the small Pokemon would stay put while he took a shower.

Fifteen minutes later, Augustine got out of the shower and patted his hair dry to the best of his ability. His stomach growled as he hastily dressed himself in his best shirt and slacks. The next segment of the dressing process took too much time for his taste: deliberating whether or not to wear a tie. In the end, he decided to skip the tie.

Augustine dashed back into the living room, checking to see that Gible still sat on the table with his treats, and he pulled all of his candles out of a cabinet under the bookshelf. He set them out on shelves, windowsills, countertops, and the coffee table, and located the silver cigarette lighter he kept hidden under the couch cushions. They could be lit later, he reasoned.

The kitchen cabinets, however, were almost bare. All of the edible items present were pre-prepared meals that required heating up, snacks, frosted cookies, the odd fruit or vegetable, and pinot noir. None of it looked suitable for a romantic evening at home.

"Well," he said, looking towards Gible, "I suppose I should make a run to the grocery store –" but a look at his watch revealed that it was five-thirty. Only half an hour before Serena arrived.

His stomach dropped. This was shaping up to be the least romantic Valentine's Day ever._  
_

Gible cried at him again, waving his stumpy little arms around to point at the empty Pokepuff box.

"I'll take you out later to get some more," said Augustine testily.

Gible let out another cry, evidently displeased by this information. The small Dragon-type pointed at the cabinet that held the frosted cookies, letting out a wail of protest.

"That's all food for humans – well, it's barely food for humans. It doesn't have the nutrients that a little Pokemon like you needs to grow into a mighty Garchomp," Augustine continued.

Still dissatisfied with the response given, Gible wailed and cried and screeched some more.

"How about this, Gible," said Augustine as he picked Gible up and carried him into the bedroom. "I need to make this a Valentine's Day to remember, since this is my first one with Serena. So if you can stay in here and be a good boy, then I'll go to the supermarket later tonight and get you some more Pokepuffs, as well as your healthy Pokemon food."

Gible sighed, then nodded in acceptance.

"_Bien,_" said Augustine as he set Gible down on the bed. He went back into the kitchen, and the first thing to catch his eye was the menu of a Kantonian restaurant held in place by a magnet. On a whim, he grabbed the menu and quickly scanned it, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that the restaurant would deliver. He grabbed his Holo Caster, dialed them up, and ordered macaroni and cheese for Serena (she had once said how much she missed authentic Kantonian mac and cheese) and a vegetable pasta dish for himself. It wasn't a nice home-cooked meal or the fanciest food available, but it was food. Hopefully she would appreciate the gesture.

The next thing he did was clear the dishes out of the sink, rinsing them and putting them in the dishwasher. It could be run later, he decided. Next, he went back into the living room to turn on his music player, filling the air with the sounds of Kalosian jazz.

Now that it was five forty-five, Augustine retreated to his bathroom to freshen up; fretting over preparations had led him to break a sweat. He wiped his brow and sprayed some cologne on himself: sandalwood and cinnamon, the fragrance Serena complimented the most. If only there were time to go get flowers or chocolate, he thought sadly.

He heard Gible cry out inside the bedroom. "Gible, what is it?" he asked as he made his way into the room. Gible had made his way onto the floor of the bedroom and was starting for the exit.

"No, Gible," said Augustine sternly as he reached out towards the small Pokemon. Gible wriggled free of Augustine's grasp and moved as fast as he could towards the kitchen. Augustine got a hold on Gible again and picked him up, holding on tight despite Gible's resistant squirming.

Struggling to maintain his grip on Gible, Augustine turned to go back into the bedroom. Gible let out another cry, followed by launching Dragon Rage at the open bedroom door, burning a hole clear through it. Augustine stumbled backwards a bit from the force of the attack, and turned slightly to face the wall. Gible used Dragon Rage again, hitting the wall and blasting a hole through that similar to the one in the door.

"Gible, stop it – unf!" The next Dragon Rage sent Augustine stumbling backwards into the wall on the opposite end of the hallway that had been hit by Dragon Rage. This time, his grip relaxed, allowing Gible to break free and run into the kitchen. Gible located the cabinet where he had seen the frosted cookies inside, and launched an attack at it. Dragon Rage blasted a hole through the cabinet door, and another attack sent it crashing onto the counter before it landed on the ground.

The evening couldn't get any worse, Augustine thought when he saw the cabinet door lying on the ground. He walked into the living room to get Gible's Pokeball out of its case, when the front door of the apartment opened. Serena entered, carrying a grocery sack under her arm.

"Oh, Serena! Hello!" he said with a smile as he grabbed Gible's Pokeball. Augustine suspected that the proper response right now would be to freak out because Gible had destroyed a door, wall, and a cabinet – all of which she would soon see – but instead he felt at peace, as if he subconsciously accepted that this would not be an ideal Valentine's Day and he would likely be single again before the night was over.

"Hey, Augustine!" she greeted him as she closed the door behind her. Her gaze drifted from Augustine to the kitchen, where she saw the broken cabinet door and Gible jumping as high as he could go, looking very intently at the cabinet that contained the frosted cookies.

"Ah – _chérie – _I am very sorry about the state of the place right now –" Pokeball in hand, Augustine rushed back into the kitchen and recalled Gible into the ball. "He's been very difficult lately. I should have never let him have that frosted vanilla Pokepuff …."

Serena snorted. "I know you forget to buy groceries sometimes, for both yourself and for Gible, so I picked some up on my way," she said, raising up the grocery sack.

Augustine gave her a relieved smile. "You're wonderful," he told her, walking over to her and placing a kiss on her cheek. "I, however, am quite sorry. See, I slept all day –"

"Yeah, Sophie told me you had pulled an all-nighter and had taken the day off to get some rest," said Serena as she walked towards his refrigerator.

"And as a result, I didn't have adequate time to prepare for tonight. There were going to be roses, chocolates, fine wine, everything we needed to celebrate Valentine's Day properly."

"Wait – it's Valentine's Day?" Serena asked abruptly, looking surprised.

"You didn't know?"

"I guess I've been so busy with school and training that I just forgot … oh well." Serena finished loading milk, cheese, eggs, and vegetables into the refrigerator and looked into the grocery sack again. "But we don't really need lots of flowers and stuff to celebrate, do we? You'd give me more than I'd know what to do with, anyway."

"Hmm, I guess you're right," said Augustine in agreement. He watched as Serena picked up the cabinet door, looked at the hole in the middle of it with scrutiny, and propped it up on the counter. From there, she walked over to him and wound her arms around his neck. He in turn put Gible's Pokeball on his belt and held her around the waist.

"I don't care for cheesy, showy signs of affectio anyway. I have you, so that's really all that matters to me," she said, following up with a kiss on his lips. "Happy Valentine's Day, Augustine."

"Same to you, Serena. _Je t'adore._" Augustine kissed her again.


	5. Chapter 5

**FIVE**

* * *

_Character A has gone missing—and while Character B never cared much about them in the beginning, slowly it begins to eat away at them as they gain knowledge of their disappearance. Eventually, they go out to where they last heard Character A had been seen and find them half-dead and in desperate need of help. Without hesitance, even with their shaky relationship before, Character B takes Character A back home to help them back onto the road to recovery by nursing them back to health._

_**A/N:** I've taken a bit of creative license with this one._

* * *

"Serena! Back so soon?" Sophie was the first person to greet Serena as she dragged herself into the front lobby of the lab.

"Yes ma'am," replied Serena as she made her way to the receptionist's desk where Sophie sat. "Is he in today?" she added. She felt tired, yet eager to tell Augustine all about her trip to Unova.

"Erm, I guess he didn't tell you that he'd be out for a few days," said Sophie hesitantly.

"Really? Well, where'd he go?" inquired Serena.

"He said something about Ambrette Town and the Muraille Coast, and then was out of here in a hurry. But Serena –" Sophie paused and glanced down at her hands, looking like she was contemplating whether or not to continue. Serena's heart quickened as dread rose up inside of her.

"The Professor was supposed to check in with me yesterday, but he didn't. It will have been a whole twenty-four hours at seven o'clock tonight, and if I don't hear from him by then I'm going to notify the police that he's missing." Sophie spoke somberly, and she ran her hand over the Holo Caster on her desk when she mentioned the police.

Serena stood there, stunned, trying to process what Sophie had said. How could Augustine have gone missing? Especially in this day and age, where everyone had a Holo Caster or some other means of communicating ….

"He was going to Ambrette Town? How was he getting there?" she finally asked.

"He decided to walk there, since his Charizard's spending the weekend at the Pokemon Center thanks to a tear in his wing," said Sophie as she studied Serena's face. "Look, Serena, when he failed to contact me when he was supposed to, I called everyone I know who lives in Camphrier and Ambrette. None of them had seen him in those towns or the surrounding areas." She paused, seeing how Serena was wearing her panic on her face. "Please don't worry. The rescue crews will find him."

Serena gazed at Sophie in disbelief. "What if it's too late by the time the crews find him?" Without waiting for an answer, she turned on her heel and dashed out of the lab.

* * *

When Serena landed in front of the Ambrette Town Pokemon Center, it was five-thirty in the afternoon. The sun was hanging lower in the sky, preparing to set over the ocean's horizon.

The first place she checked was inside the Pokemon Center itself, asking the nurse and everyone else inside if they had seen or heard from Augustine. Nobody had seen him since the previous night, according to the nurse. Next, she dashed through the Ambrette Aquarium, again asking the staff and other visitors if they had seen him … and she was told that he hadn't been seen anywhere the aquarium. Now that she was feeling even more panicked, she stopped by the town's laboratory; surely he would be there, rubbing elbows with other scientists. Why else would he come to Ambrette in the first place?

"Professor Sycamore? No, we're not expecting him," said the scientist as he measured a Dome Fossil with a set of calipers. "And if he was going out to Glittering Cave, I'd have seen him pass by through those windows," he added, using his free hand to point to the windows on the same wall as the front door.

"Uh, well, thanks I guess." Serena quickly left the lab and stood outside for a moment, then decided to do the one thing that could resolve this issue immediately. She pulled out her Holo Caster, saw that it was now six-fifteen, and dialed up Augustine. She waited for a minute as her device tried to connect with Augustine's, and then the Holo Caster played a prerecorded message: "Hello, this is Augustine Sycamore. Please leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible … _Bonjour, c'est Augustine Sycamore. S'il vous plaît laissez-moi un message et je vais entrer en contact avec vous dès que possible_."

"Augustine, if you receive this message, please call me back immediately. I'm worried about you." Serena put her Holo Caster back in her bag, and then made her way to the northern end of town. She remembered that Sophie told her that Augustine mentioned the Muraille Coast – maybe he was there?

But what if he wasn't there, she wondered frantically. He could already be on his way back to Lumiose, or relaxing in a café – but if either of those situations were true, or any situation where he wasn't in harm's way, surely he'd have the decency to call her back or at least notify Sophie of his whereabouts. Serena had to assume that something had happened to him, whether it be he dropped his Holo Caster off a cliff or something else completely had yet to be determined.

* * *

"AUGUSTINE?!" she called out as she stood amid the tall grass. To the west of her, the sun was beginning to set. It was almost seven, and Sophie would soon call the police. Serena' hopes of finding Augustine so a rescue crew wouldn't be necessary had failed spectacularly in her opinion, and at this point she wished that she wouldn't find his corpse that was still warm – she would only deduce that while she had been running around town on a wild Ducklett chase, she could have reached him sooner and saved his life.

Guilt and remorse would have to wait, a more rational voice in her head said as she scanned the tall grass around her, making sure not to disturb the group of feeding Mienfoo. There was no use to anticipating failure. She kept moving, feeling more desperate with each step she took but concentrating her willpower on maintaining a level head.

Something soon cracked under her foot; she looked down and saw that she stepped on a Holo Caster, or at least what remained of it. The rest of the Holo Caster was already a broken, gnarled mess of wires and metal and plastic. With the device in its current state, she had no way of telling if it was Augustine's. Serena scanned the ground around the broken Holo Caster, looking for footprints or some other trail. She soon found what looked like a shallow human footprint in the ground, followed by some shorter grass that had been bent over, and she walked in the direction in which the footprint was headed.

In the main pathway through Route 8, she saw another set of footprints, where the right foot had left a much lighter print than the left one. This set cut across at a diagonal into another patch of grass, and Serena followed it there.

A few steps into that patch of tall grass, Serena lost the trail. She went back to calling out his name every ten seconds while she scanned the patch of grass for either Augustine or any signs of the trail she picked up. Ahead of her was a cliff side with several holes and caves carved into it, some of them along the ground and others higher up on the cliff face. At the end of the patch of grass, the earth was dirt and rocks, and Serena noticed the set of human footprints she had found on the road, and followed it into such a cave, jogging as she went.

The cave in question was not very tall or deep, but it was big enough to house a cluster of rocks along the wall. Serena ducked into the cave and looked behind the cluster of rocks, and she let out a gasp. Augustine lay there, leaning back against the cave wall with his legs outstretched. His right shoe had been torn open so that the sole was split in half and separated from the rest of the shoe. Dried blood was present on and around his nose, and his face was covered in dark bruises.

"Oh my –" Serena rushed to his side, dropping down to her knees beside him and taking his face into her hands. She noticed that his left eye was swollen shut, and he looked at her through his right eye.

"That you, Serena?" Augustine muttered, smiling slightly.

"Augustine, what happened to you?" Serena looked down at his right foot, noticing a large bulge and more bruises around his ankle.

"Well, it turns out that Bagon don't appreciate it when you walk across one of their nests, even if it's on accident."

Serena stared at him, her mouth hanging open in surprise. As she looked, Augustine slowly brought up his hands to grab onto her arms just above the elbow. "Do you not have your Pokemon on you?" she asked him, aghast at what happened to him but amazed that a Bagon could be this strong.

"No … I didn't think I would need them. I only wanted to find a shiny Inkay …."

"Augustine, you complete idiot!" She wanted to smack him upside the head, but she decided to at least wait until he had recovered some. "Coming out here by yourself, unprepared and unprotected, leaving Sophie and me to worry sick – you _moron_!"

"I'm sorry I made you worry, _chérie_."

Serena sighed. "Just don't do it again." She moved her hands from his face down to his sides, and held onto him just under his armpits. "Come on, let's get you home." Augustine threw an arm around her shoulder, and did the best he could to stand up on his own with her, although he winced when it was time to move his right foot.

"For the record, Serena, there were four Bagon who ganged up on me. It takes a lot of tough little Pokemon to bring me down," joked Augustine.

"Please, I've seen you fall victim to a Froakie," said Serena as she sent out Charizard.

* * *

Later that evening, Augustine was home at his apartment, with all the stitches and bandages he needed as well as a cast over his right foot. He sat on the couch with a popular science magazine, skimming through an article written by Professor Birch in Hoenn, when Serena sat down next to him with two steaming mugs of tea in her potholder-protected hands.

"Thank you," he said as he took a mug of tea.

"You're welcome," she replied, looking over his black eye.

"I mean, not just for this tea. Thank you, Serena, for coming after me. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Serena smiled, then leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. "Next time you go looking for Shinies, make sure to go with a friend or at least your Pokemon." She briefly wondered what scientific merit there was to hunting down a shiny Inkay, especially how it pertained to Mega Evolution.

Augustine smiled back, and draped his arm around her shoulders. "I will. Anyway, how was Unova?"


	6. Chapter 6

**SIX**

* * *

_Zombie AU! The apocalypse has struck and Character A and B are forced together in order to survive the onslaught of the undead. Will the strains of groaning, stumbling monstrosities following their every move bring them together, or drive them both mad?_

* * *

"Three hours … that's a new record," commented Serena as she glanced at the clock laying on the ground next to her feet. She diverted her attention back to the boarded-up window in front of her, peeking through a small gap between boards that let her view South Boulevard below.

Augustine sat on the desk of what used to be his office, cleaning a rifle that he had fashioned out of spare parts found in the lab. "Think they're planning something?" he asked off-handedly.

"Unlikely. They're zombies – not capable of complex thought or emotion or anything. Hence their hunger for _braaaaaiiiiiins. _Maybe they found some other survivors to harass. Maybe they're finally all gone." The sight of Lumiose City, deserted with a few buildings destroyed and laying in rubble, had become more familiar to her than the back of her own hand. It was eerie to her, how still the city was. Those who hadn't fallen victim to the virus fled or holed themselves up in their homes or businesses.

"You know, it might be safe for me to go back to my apartment now," Serena suggested, stepping over a blood stain on the carpet as she approached Augustine.

"It's safer to stay here and you know it," Augustine objected.

"Yeah, I know, but my Pokemon are still there – maybe. I need to at least go check. They can help us finally get out of Lumiose and fight them off."

"And if you're greeted by a zombified Greninja or Ampharos or Lucario?"

Serena merely shrugged in response. "I have to try. Look, Augustine, it's not just my Pokemon I'm after. My apartment still has food in it, and medical supplies, and spare clothing. We're running low as it is, and I don't feel like starving to death in here."

"I'd rather starve than become one of them," said Augustine.

"Then you do that!" Serena scanned the room, finding the axe she used as a weapon leaning against the partition. The partition that separated Augustine's office from the rest of the lab's third floor facilities had seen better days: there were chips, splinters, and a large tear across the side from when a zombified Hydreigon had broken in and attacked.

"You're really going then, Serena?" Augustine hopped off the desk and reached forward to grab her arm.

"Yes. Yes I am." Serena replied. Having lost patience with him, she tugged her arm out of his grip and headed for the elevator shaft.

"If you go, I can't let you back in. You know that. Please stay here … I can't fight them alone," Augustine pleaded.

Serena shook her head. "You could come with me. We're the last two people from the lab, after all. We find my Pokemon and fly out of here on Charizard. No more zombies, no more fearing for our lives." She watched Augustine's face, waiting for his expression to tell her whether or not he agreed with what she suggested.

Finally, Augustine shook his head. "I- I- I can't. Serena, I just can't."

"Why not?" she fired back. Her initial thought was that he was just a coward, scared of taking a risk.

Before Augustine could respond, something from the outside slammed into the boards in the window. Serena and Augustine both jumped, and then rounded back around the partition, staring down the window with their weapons bared.

That something slammed into the boards again and again, until finally the boards burst open and a swarm of zombified Vivillon poured inside. Instead of bearing the colorful wing patterns common of Vivillon, these Pokemon looked pale, sickly green and gray, with broken antennae and tattered wings and foggy eyes.

As Augustine used his rifle to blast them out of the air, Serena swung her axe, hacking away at any Vivillon that got close to her: through wings, decapitating, slicing them in half at the thorax, or crushing through their exoskeletons in one blow.

"That was too easy," Serena remarked, panting, once all of the corpses of the zombie Vivillon lay on the ground around them. She doubted that any of them had the strength to break down the boards.

"It was … and that was the last of my wooden boards. We'll have to move one of the bookcases in that spot – _fils de pute!"_ Augustine shouted as he saw an undead Staraptor fly into the lab and swoop in to get him. He swung at it with the butt of his rifle, knocking it into the ground so Serena could easily decapitate it.

"You better get that bookcase in place, then. I'll take all of these over to the incinerator," said Serena as she gestured to the corpses on the floor.

Just as she finished speaking, a large group of Flying-type zombie Pokemon flew into the lab, leading Serena and Augustine to crawl on the floor to escape the storm of wings and feathers around them. Serena had no choice but to crawl over the remains of Vivillon, hearing them crunch under her weight. She rolled over to dodge a Pidgeotto who tried to peck at her, almost ramming into the partition but managing to stop just in time. That Pidgeotto then let out a bloodcurdling screech that sounded nothing like the Pokemon's usual cry, but rather like that of a monstrous bird-of-prey on the hunt.

Serena crawled around the partition and stood up quickly, assuming an aggressive stance and proceeding to hack away at any zombie Pokemon who got within range of her axe. Augustine joined her side soon, and he shot down a Fletchinder.

"Right now I'm grateful that the zombies can't breathe fire," he remarked. "But we –" he paused to shoot at a Pidgeot "We should probably get going. I'll hold them off for you while you lower the rope."

With an affirming nod, Serena dashed to the elevator shaft and pushed the doors open. She then looked to the side, seeing a cubby where a length of rope lay coiled up. She grabbed the free end of it and threw it down the shaft, and then tugged on the end that was tied in place around a metal hook.

"Come on!" she shouted at Augustine as she grabbed the rope and began her descent. Below her, she saw the dark silhouette of the mangled elevator car, which she and Augustine had dropped on some human zombies to prevent their ascent to the third floor. She found going up and down by rope to be a nuisance, but the stairwell was now inaccessible due to sealing it off and booby-trapping it.

As she climbed her way down, she felt the disturbance of some extra weight on the rope. She looked up and let out a sigh of relief to see that it was Augustine, sliding down as fast as he could go before he ran into her. At the bottom of the shaft, the two of them burst into the wrecked front lobby of the lab and shut the elevator shaft door behind them. – but not before three Flying-type zombies flew out behind them.

"So your apartment?" asked Augustine as he shot down a zombie.

"Unless you have a better idea," said Serena as she swung her axe to decapitate a Talonflame.

The two of them took off, stepping over the shattered glass and metal debris, onto South Boulevard. The only sounds ringing through Serena's ears were the flapping wings up in the office, hers and Augustine's own pounding footsteps … and ominous, distant moaning once they found their way to Estival Avenue.

What appeared to be a six-foot-tall blockade was set up in front of the side road that led to Serena's apartment building. As they got closer, Serena and Augustine saw that this was no blockade – instead, it was a whole horde of zombies, both people and Pokemon, letting out vacant moans and inching forward towards them. To Serena, it looked like a small army made of those with torn skin, ripped clothing, blank eyes, and slack-jawed expressions.

Augustine immediately halted and grabbed Serena's arm so she would do the same. "This is why I wanted to stay in the lab."

From behind, Serena heard more of the moaning. She turned and saw a dozen or so human zombies emerging from alleyways and moving towards them at a glacial pace.

"Well, your lab's a zombie aviary now … I know another way." Serena grabbed Augustine's hand and led them into the nearest alleyway, jumping over trash cans and corpses as they went. She turned a corner, only to be greeted by six human zombies that were only two feet from her face.

She decapitated one and buried the blade of her axe into the chest of another, and she heard a click and a growl of frustration coming from Augustine. "I'm out of ammunition!" he cried.

"Then hit them with the butt of – AAAH!" One of the zombies got too close to Serena, and latched its rotting teeth into the back of her shoulder. She shook it off, ignoring the severe pain, and pulled her axe out of the chest of the zombie she just felled.

"NO!" she heard Augustine shout. Knowing she had to move quickly, she swung and slashed and hacked away with her axe until the remaining four zombies lay in pieces on the ground.

Serena, now feeling extremely lightheaded, fell to her knees and dropped her axe. From there, she fell further until she lay on her side. Her shoulder still hurt beyond what anything she could describe, and she found comfort in knowing that it wouldn't hurt much longer.

She felt a set of arms hoisting her up and cradling her, and Augustine's face hovered above her. "You need to kill me," she told him in a weak voice. Even though her vision was blurred, she thought she saw tears welling up in his eyes.

"Serena, I-I can't do this without you," he confessed.

Serena's head was starting to feel hot, while her hands felt cool and clammy as she feebly raised one up to rest on Augustine's chest. "You have to now. I don't want to be a zombie, Augustine. End it, please."

Augustine looked at her briefly, intent and despondent, before replying. "All right, I will. But first, Serena, I need to tell you something. I –" His speech was clear at first, but in Serena's ears it soon became more garbled and incoherent. The handsome face looking down at her, in whose smile she had once found so much comfort, now looked unfamiliar. Who _was_ this, she wondered, and why did he look good enough to eat?

She let out a vacant-sounding moan - surely she intended to say something, but at the same time she couldn't articulate what she meant to say. The heat in her head soon became replaced with cool clamminess like that in her hands, and the pain in her shoulder went away. The breeze blowing across her skin only felt like numbness, and then nothing. Her skin, once soft and warm with pink undertones, turned brittle and rough and a sickly shade of green-gray.

Augustine leaned down to give her a kiss, but he stopped just shy of her mouth. He held perfectly still, refusing to flinch or resist in any way, as Serena craned her head up and clamped her teeth onto his jawline.


	7. Chapter 7

**SEVEN**

* * *

_Out of the blue, Character A stumbles onto Character B's doorstep drunk out of their mind and clearly not thinking straight. They are babbling nonsense and Character B feels bad enough to let them in to sit down and relax for awhile. Everything is fine and dandy until Character A starts professing a hidden love for Character B, still drunk beyond belief. Is Character A accidentally speaking of a secret, or just blathering on about something untrue?_

* * *

After hearing the sloppy and uneven knocks, Serena grabbed her Pokeball belt off her nightstand and bolted to the front door of her apartment. The first thing she did was look through the door's peephole, and she didn't see anybody; just a few flyaway locks of wavy black hair in the lower part of her vision.

She unlocked the door and slowly opened it, acting just in time to catch Augustine as he slid forward towards her.

"Bahn-zhooer, Serena," said Augustine as he attempted to straighten himself. He stood partially upright, but then stumbled a little. Serena grabbed one of his arms and pulled it over her shoulders, allowing her to guide him inside.

"Are you all right, Augustine?" Serena asked him, noticing how he had trouble standing upright and how flushed his cheeks looked.

"Uh huh, I'm fine. I-I- went out … _avec les_ _connards_ _de l'université … _great wine … lovely waitresses …." Augustine sounded like he was struggling to string words together. He stumbled again, harder this time, and Serena jumped forward slightly to catch him before he hit the ground.

"Let's set you down really quick," she suggested, practically dragging him to the couch and all the while wondering what he was doing here.

"Got lost on my way home … how, Serena? _Toute ma vie … j'ai vé__cu ici. _But I remember that you live off Estival Avenue – and I was on Estival Avenue! So I come here, because you help me," said Augustine as he plopped down on the couch and laid back. "Sit down next to me, _belle," _he added, patting the space on the couch next to him.

Feeling mildly uncomfortable, Serena glanced from him to the couch. "How about I get you some water first?"

Augustine smiled and giggled briefly. "If you say so."

When Serena came back with a glass of water, she passed it over to Augustine, who took a small sip of it before setting it on the couch cushion. He then reached towards Serena, grabbed her around the wrist, and pulled her down to sit on the couch next to him.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, wrestling free from his grip and keeping her hand raised slightly in case she needed to slap him.

"Sit with me?" he asked, almost sounding like a child.

"Drink your water," she ordered, pointing to the glass of water. Augustine stretched out a hand to pick it up, but carelessly knocked it over instead.

"Ever see patterns in spilled liquids?" asked Augustine. He watched as the water pouring out of the overturned glass seeped into the couch cushion and ran off the side. Serena only groaned.

"No more water," he continued. "Oh well. Do you have anything more exciting?"

"Haven't you had enough to drink tonight?" Serena inquired.

"Only to deal with self-asborsed professors who think they're better than me!" replied Augustine defensively. "_Porquoi, parce qu'ils ont un meilleure équipment? Et plus d'argent? Conneries!"_

"Um, in a language we can all understand, please?" Serena asked calmly, mildly annoyed that he was sliding between their share language and Kalosian, but realizing that not much could be done about it if he wasn't thinking straight.

"I'm sorry, _belle_," murmured Augustine, giving her a gentle pat on her knee. "None of them are experts in their fields, though! Why do they think they're so great? I'm a scientific _pioneer_, dammit! The first and only doctorate studying Meg-o-lution …. I started my own lab at twenty-nine, what were they doing at twenty-nine? Just finishing their degrees? If anyone's better than erryone else, it's _moi_!"

"Uh-huh, you show them," replied Serena flatly. She started to wonder if he was just spouting this nonsense in his drunkenness, or if he honestly thought himself superior to other Kalosian scientists.

"I _will_. Didja know that Dedenne can shoot fire from its whiskers? Yet we classify it as part Fairy-type and not part Fire-type … what's up with that?"

Serena shrugged, although she knew that what he said wasn't true at all.

"You're studying Pokemon biology at university, Serena. Why not become a researcher in type classifierication and fix this travesty?" Augustine's speech was becoming increasingly slurred, and as he leaned in towards Serena, his head almost fell into her lap, but he snapped back upright – or as upright as he could be – just in time. He then jabbed a finger into her shoulder.

"I'll think about it, but maybe right now you should get some sleep." Serena grabbed the wrist of his outstretched hand and pushed it back into his lap. "I'll go get you a blanket," she continued while standing up. After she took two steps past him, Augustine latched onto her hand.

"Luhwyeu," he said. Serena, now a little irritated, turned her head to look at him. She did not expect to see that mix of emotions on his face: needy, sincere … and loving.

"Sorry?"

"I said … I … love … you. Like, in love love."

"Wow, you really _are_ drunk," she brushed it off, trying to break free from his grasp, but he only held on tighter.

"Don't go away. Stay with me? Serena, you're my whole world and I don't want to lose sight of you."

"Okay, you're talking nonsense now." Just like the factoid about Dedenne, she told herself. He was spouting nonsense, just like the bit about Dedenne shooting fire from its whiskers. But – what if he meant it? The two of them had been together for a few months, it was entirely possible for him to have fallen in love that fast, but he had never said or even hinted at this – feeling herself freak out a little, she took a deep breath.

"Augustine … if you really do love me, you need to listen to me. Right now, I think what's best for you is just to get some rest and sleep the drunk off. I'm going to get you a blanket and sit with you until you fall asleep, and I promise I'll be here in the morning."

"Anything you say, _belle_," he agreed, his voice having an airy quality to it. He slid his hand down her wrist, lightly grazing over the back of her hand and her fingers, and then letting his own hand drop.

Serena took that opportunity to scurry away to her linen closet, where she found a soft and warm-looking blanket that her grandmother sent her from Kanto. Back in the living room, she heard Augustine singing mildly loud but surprisingly on-key.

"_Q__uand elle me prend dans ses bras__, elle me parle tout bas, je vois la vie en rose … elle me dit des mots d'amour, des la la la la laaaaa, et ça m' fait quelque chose …."_

She went back into the living room, seeing that Augustine had laid himself down on the couch. He was laying on his side, staring off into space as he sang.

_"__Elle est entré dans mon coeur__, une la de da de la, dont je connais la cause …" _Augustine's eyes followed Serena as she threw the blanket over his body and tucked the edges and corners in around him.

"Go to sleep, sillyhead," she said softly, stroking his hair.

"I didn't finish the song," whined Augustine.

"Finish it in the morning when you're sober and you know all the words," Serena told him.

"I'll tell you what the words mean too. Good night _mon amour_." Augustine's eyes fluttered shut, and a few seconds later he started snoring.

Serena got to her feet and tiptoed to her bedroom. Instead of easily falling asleep as she usually did, she lay awake for a while, wondering if the following morning was going to be at all awkward.

* * *

At nine o'clock the following morning, Serena woke up and moved quickly and quietly into the kitchen. She poured cereal and milk into a bowl and stood in the corner of the kitchen farthest away from the living room, watching the blanketed mass still laying on her couch. That mass, which was Augustine, rolled over, and she heard him grumble something. Part of her wanted to talk to him about what he said to her the previous night, but she knew it would be best to let him sleep as long as he needed.

It was then that she noticed the morning sun shining through the living room windows at full force, unintentionally directing its rays towards her couch. After she finished eating, she crept to each window and drew the curtains closed to block out the sun.

"Wutimezit?" she heard Augustine groan.

"A little past nine," she answered, looking towards the couch to see that he was slowly sitting up.

"At night?" Augustine sounded surprised.

"No, it's the morning," she reassured him.

Augustine moaned and lay back down. "I'm going back to sleep," he declared hazily.

"Uh – Augustine … before you do that, I need to ask you something." Serena said as she walked over and knelt next to him.

"Hm?"

"Is it true? What you said last night?"

"My apologies, _chérie_, but I need a little more information to go off of."

"You said that … that … that Dedenne could shoot fire from its whiskers. Is that true?"

Augustine chortled. "The nonsense I spout when I'm wasted … no, Serena. Dedenne only shoots electricity."

"Oh. Okay …" Serena guessed that Augustine just qualified anything he said while drunk as "nonsense." Nonetheless, she couldn't help but feel disappointed that his drunken confession of love would fall in that category.

"I'll leave you some water and some crackers and a bucket here next to the couch. In the meantime, I need to go run some errands." She stood up and walked back into the kitchen.

When she came back with the promised items, she set them out on the coffee table and at the foot of the couch. Augustine had rolled over to face the back of the couch, but he rolled back over to face her.

"Did I tell you that I love you last night?" he asked.

"Uh … yeah, you did." Serena said, feeling her cheeks grow warm.

"Hm, I was going to wait until the right sober moment … but I meant that. I do love you."

Serena smiled faintly, although she wondered what the appropriate response would be. "I … I figured as much. Well, I'm gonna go now, and I'll be back later."

"See you then, _chérie,_" said Augustine before he closed his eyes again.

She got dressed and ready, grabbed her Pokeball belt and her bag, and headed for the door. Before opening it, she looked over to the sleeping Augustine again, relieved and delighted to know how he felt about her, and asking herself when it would be right to express to him just how she felt.

Did she love him back? As she ran her errands and mulled over it, she decided that the answer was yes.


	8. Chapter 8

**EIGHT**

* * *

_Person A has a secret hobby that they're obsessed with, but too shy to mention. Person B finds out somehow and not only tells them that it's cute, but also wants to help and do said hobby with them._

**A/N:** I'm doing this prompt I found instead of the "romantic starlit picnic interrupted by hornets," kind of because I didn't care for this original prompt, and also because there's one little scene in here I've been dying to use in a fic for some time now. (Besides, the writing challenge rules say I can substitute prompts if I please)

* * *

It looked nearly perfect. The only problem was that one of the scales on Tyrantrum's back was a bit larger than the others.

Augustine looked over the wooden figurine that he had finished carving, running his thumb over some of the rougher edges. When he had started this hobby in his preadolescent years, he never imagined that he would attain this skill level, but working at it for over twenty years seemed to help.

He set the Tyrantrum figurine next to the Aurorus figurine that sat nearby on the kitchen table, and then he took a moment to use his hand to sweep the wood shavings into a nearby trash can. From there, he got up and went into his bedroom, digging through the closet for the box that held his paints. The box was where it always was, stashed in the back corner with the rest of his carving supplies, but most of the paint bottles were nearly empty, and the ones with any paint in them were not the colors he needed.

Checking his watch revealed the time to be five-thirty in the afternoon, and his favorite craft store had closed at five. With a groan, Augustine put the box back in place and made a mental note to stop by the store on his lunch hour the following day. In the meantime, he would have to call the scientists at the Ambrette Fossil Laboratory to let them know that the figurines would be a day late … and then he would need a private place to store them.

Augustine returned to the kitchen table and sat down again. He reached over and grabbed both the Aurorus and Tyrantrum figurines, trying to imagine how they would look when painting was completed and deliberating what color scheme to use for the sails on Aurorus's head.

"What color do you want to be?" he muttered to the figurine as if it could hear him and answer back.

"I want to be … I want to be …" he said, pretending to be Aurorus and speaking in a cool, soothing voice. "I want to … I want to live on this land," he continued, randomly thinking of the reruns of a decade-old sci-fi television series he had watched the previous night.

Before he knew it, he was re-enacting the entire scene, waving the figurines around like the character did in the show. It was a good thing Serena didn't see him do this, he thought; she would probably think he was a bigger dork than previously suspected.

"Yes … yes … this is a fertile land and we will thrive. We will rule this land and call it … this land," he continued as Aurorus.

His Tyrantrum voice was raspy and sinister-sounding. "Oh? Well I think we should call it your grave!"

"Aaah!" he cried in his Aurorus voice as he moved to Tyrantrum to "attack" Aurorus. "Aaah! Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal! Aaahh!"

Although he didn't hear it, the front door of the apartment unlocked and opened.

"Ah hahahaha! Mine is an evil laugh! Now PERISH!"

"Oh no! Oh no, Arceus! Oh dear Arceus …." He lay the Aurorus figurine down on its side so that it was now "dead." For good measure, he let out another villainous laugh for Tyrantrum.

"What are you doing?" came a woman's voice from the entryway of the kitchen.

Augustine jumped, dropping Tyrantrum in the process. He whipped his head around and saw Serena standing there, and his face immediately turned bright red.

"Nothing. Just unleashing my inner child for a bit," said Augustine sheepishly.

"Okay … what are those?" asked Serena, inclining her head to the kitchen table where the dinosaur Pokemon figurines lay.

"Oh, these? These are … these are figurines that I'm working on – they're supposed to be a gift for Professor Pelage at the Ambrette laboratory –"

"You make Pokemon figurines?" Serena asked curiously. She approached the table and tenderly picked up Aurorus, turning it over in her hands and admiring Augustine's handiwork. "Wow, this is really good."

"Ah, _merci_," said Augustine. His cheeks still felt warm, and then he realized that he never told Serena about this hobby. "I actually have a whole box filled with them under my bed."

Serena's eyes widened slightly. "I want to see them."

"They're not that good," Augustine stated. "Which is why they're in a box and not out on display."

"I still want to see them."

A couple of minutes later, Augustine and Serena were sitting on the floor of his bedroom with a box filled with dozens of wooden Pokemon figurines. Serena looked over a Skitty and an Emolga and a Chespin, while Augustine studied his past work and thought about when he made each one: the Cherrim, which was inspired by the one he once saw in the wild in Sinnoh; some deformed lump that was his attempt at carving Palkia shortly after seeing a picture of the Legendary Pokemon in a book; a Piplup whose head was too big and its beak too short, back when he started to experiment with different types of wood; and his most recent creation, a male Pyroar, created in the later days of his grieving for Lysandre.

"These are all just personal projects," he explained to her. "Some are years old, but I can usually whip out one a week." He gingerly set Pyroar back in the box and glanced up to Serena's face; she looked at the Pyroar figurine with an expression of understanding.

"You don't think it's weird … or anything … do you?" he asked timidly.

Serena shook her head. "I actually think it's pretty cool. I wish I had a knack for this kind of thing." She reached out and placed her hand on top of his.

Augustine smiled at her; partially in relief, partially because he couldn't help himself.

"Well, you could help me paint the Aurorus and Tyrantrum figurines I'm working on – once I buy paint for them, of course," he offered as he closed the lid on the box and slid it back under his bed.

"I'd like that," she replied, standing up and pulling him to his feet alongside her. "Now are we going to dinner or not?"

"Ooh, someone's impatient. Let me grab my coat, and – oh yes!" Augustine leaned forward and gave her a full, solid kiss that she returned. When the kiss had concluded, he grabbed his coat off the rack and gestured towards the door.

"Just out of curiosity, Serena, when was your birthday again?"

"The eighteenth of June," she said as she made her way out of his bedroom to the front of his apartment.

That was two months away, Augustine realized as the two of them were on the way to the restaurant. More than enough time to create little wooden representations of all six members of her main team.


	9. Chapter 9

**NIN**

* * *

_Person A wants so badly to tell Person B "I love you" but for some reason has an incredibly hard time verbally confessing their feelings. Luckily, Person B has figured this out and reassures them that "they don't have to say it, because I already know, and I feel the same way too" before kissing them._

**A/N: **I'm doing this one in place of the "jealousy" prompt.

* * *

He had already said it. That three word sentence that carried so much emotional weight and was the best thing in the world to hear when it came from someone that truly mattered: "I love you." Even if he was drunk at the time, Augustine said it first, and then again when he was sober, and now he said it practically every chance he got.

At first, Serena didn't mind the affection; in fact, she found it endearing and a good thing to know. She kept a running tally of how often Augustine told her he loved her each day, and three weeks after the initial confession he averaged twelve instances a day. She told him once before bed – after he said it again – and he replied with "_Only_ twelve times a day? _Chérie,_ twelve hundred times a day wouldn't be enough."

The best (or maybe worst) part of it all was that Augustine never expected her to say it back. She hoped it was because he didn't want to pressure her into saying it too soon, before she knew she really meant it. However, she soon started to feel a twinge of guilt every time he complimented her or gave her some physical sign of affection. It wasn't because she didn't love him back, because she did; there had yet to be a moment that she considered "the right moment" to verbally confess her feelings. Getting drunk so that she too could spill her feelings grew to be a more attractive option ….

* * *

_"Really, you'd think the man would at least make an effort,"_ the holographic image of a very put-off Grace said.

"No, not really," responded Serena, exasperated and ready to hang up. "He wasn't a good dad while he was married to you, so I didn't expect him to be a good dad after divorcing you. Never have, never will. He'll be lucky if I ever send him as much as a Christmas card."

Grace laughed. _"You know I still read Kantonian news sites and celebrity blogs, and I can't believe he hasn't contacted any of them to brag about how his child is a Pokemon League Champion. Seems like the kind of thing he'd do."_

"It is, isn't it?" Serena was still trying to figure out how she and her mother got from discussing dinner the coming Saturday to discussing her father.

There was a brief pause, and then Grace spoke again.

_"I need to go, honey. My appointment's in ten minutes. See you Saturday!"_

"Bye, Mom." Serena said as she ended the Holo Caster call. It felt a little weird that Grace didn't sneak an "I love you" into the end of the call, mainly because the phrase was one now so commonplace in Serena's ears. Then again, that was just how her mother was, Serena reasoned. Grace showed her love through hard work, sacrifice, giving, paying attention, spoiling her daughter silly on occasion, and being a constant source of strength. Serena had perhaps only heard her mother say the sentence a few times throughout her childhood and preadolescence, but she didn't need to hear it all the time because she just _knew_. Her dad had rarely said it, but his leaving the family showed her that actions did speak louder than words anyway.

Her stomach growled, so she got up off the couch and went into the kitchen. She pulled some carrots out of the fridge and munched on them while she reviewed notes from her biochemistry class. As she studied, she paid little attention to what she had scribbled about nucleotide synthesis pathways as her mind was distracted by Augustine. It was time, she thought, to tell him that she loved him. How was a completely different matter, though. Yet the idea came to her as she skimmed over the last page of her notes.

After a brief text message conversation that confirmed that she was welcome to his apartment that evening, Serena set to work in the kitchen baking macarons. While the macarons baked in the oven, Serena paced around the kitchen, thinking of what she would say and how she would say it.

"'Why did I make these? I felt like it. I know they're your favorite, so I thought I'd treat you to –' no. Um … 'Because, Augustine, I love you and I –' no, that's too direct. Crud. Hmm … 'Can't a girl treat her boyfriend just because she loves him?' Yeah … I think that'll do."

* * *

With the finished macarons neatly stashed in a box and tied up with a ribbon, Serena set out from her apartment just as the sun was lowering its position in the sky. She carefully moved around throngs of people and Pokemon who were heading home from work or running errands, and she kept the box held close to her chest at all times. The bottom of the box was warm, residual heat from the macarons, and she made a mental note to sneak one for herself later.

Serena, thinking that the street was clear for her, moved to cross South Boulevard. On the sidewalk ahead of her, she saw where a little girl with an Azurill stood with her mother, and that little girl pointed to Serena and waved. Serena paused momentarily to wave back at the little girl; she hadn't stopped for more than a couple of seconds, but it was long enough for a cab to abruptly drive her way and honk at her.

She turned her head to see the cab coming, its horn blaring, and she jumped out of its way so it could pass. In her haste to get out of the road, she missed the sewage drain built into the curb, and her foot inserted itself right into the drain when she took a step forward. Before she knew it, Serena fell forward onto the sidewalk in front of her, landing on her hands and knees, and sending the box of macarons flying forward.

The box's bottom burst open when it hit the ground, and colorful macarons flew out in each direction. Serena got back on her feet, then watched in dismay as people either walked around the confections or carelessly stepped on them.

_"Sacre bleu!_" Augustine appeared out of nowhere and put a hand on Serena's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Serena, just now registering how much her knee hurt, "but they're ruined." She didn't take her eyes off of her soiled macarons, some of which were now being snatched up and eaten by a stray Skiddo.

"That is a waste of wondrous-looking macarons," commented Augustine as he glanced up and down Serena's body. "You scraped your knee, Serena. Come on. Let's get you cleaned up."

"But –" she watched as the Skiddo gobbled up the last of the macarons. She let Augustine guide her down South Boulevard towards his apartment building, wincing every time she stepped forward on the leg holding the scraped knee. Just as Augustine had said, streams of blood slowly trickled down the front of her leg from a bloody red patch on her knee.

"Those were for you," she murmured, thinking about the afternoon she wasted on baking instead of studying. If she had just stayed with her notes, she could have avoided wasting all of her baking ingredients too.

"For _me?_ I thought you were taking them to the Pokemon Center like you did last month." Augustine sounded taken aback, but he cracked a smile.

"Yeah. I wanted to take a study break, so I was going to make them and bring them to you because I know you like them and I luh- I love baking them. It's, uh, quite the stress reliever." That could have been her chance, but this was definitely the opposite of good timing in her opinion.

* * *

At his apartment, Augustine cleaned up and bandaged Serena's knee and hand. Both of the injured areas still hurt, but the stinging pain and the bleeding had subsided at least.

"Shouldn't you be studying?" he asked her jokingly as he moved from the couch into the kitchen.

"With what?" Serena, seated comfortably on the couch, pulled her Holo Caster out of her purse and opened a web browser, which she used to search for a website containing information about what she had been studying previously.

"I mean," said Augustine, reappearing in the living room with an empty saucepan in hand, "shouldn't you be focusing on your schoolwork instead of baking?"

"Like I said, it was a study break."

There was a quiet moment, in which the two of them just looked at one another. Serena studied his face, trying to read hints about his though process.

"Why does it matter, anyway?" she inquired.

"You've never made macarons for me for any occasion that wasn't a special one," Augustine pointed out. "So I'm a little curious as to what's going on."

"Nothing's going on. I had the ingredients to make macarons. You love macarons. I love … I love _making_ macarons. I thought 'Hey, why not make macarons for my man now that I've been reading about nucleotides for the past three hours?'"

Augustine raised an eyebrow. "That's very sweet of you, Serena. What else is on your mind?"

"It's dumb, you don't need to hear about it."

"I think I do," said Augustine as he quickly moved to sit on the couch next to her, setting the saucepan on the coffee table.

Serena sighed. "You're so good to me. You cook me dinner almost every night, you bandage up my scraped knees, you help me with my schoolwork, you listen to my silly thoughts, and you told me I was beautiful after I got back from training in the Kiloude Forest and I hadn't showered for four days … and I don't know how saying 'I love you' comes so naturally to you – I don't know if it's a Kalosian thing or not – and I feel weird because I haven't said it yet but it's like every other thing you say to me and I'm a doofus who needs to bring you baked goods as a way to work up the courage to say it –"

Augustine held a finger up to her lips to shush her.

"Do you love me?" he asked her, sounding calm for the most part although some anticipation bled into his tone.

"Y-yes," she admitted.

Augustine grinned, and he slid his finger off her lips so he could lean in and kiss her.

"Serena, I never felt a need to hear you say it. You set out to search for me when I went missing on Route 8. You helped me repair the damage Gible did to the apartment. When I showed up on your doorstep drunk out of my mind, you took care of me that night when anyone else would have just called a cab to take me home. I knew you cared about me thanks to all of that – and you really must love me if you can have your pick of any young man in Kalos and you choose this silly old man."

Serena smiled back, and she took his hands in hers.

"Now, _chérie_, repeat after me." Augustine began. "I …"

"I," repeated Serena, fully aware of where this was going. She wanted to finish the sentence in one blow, but she stopped herself, thinking it would ruin Augustine's fun.

"Love …" Augustine said, followed soon after by Serena.

"You."

Serena felt her cheeks warm up.

"All together now," Augustine said encouragingly.

She laughed. "Okay … I love you." That was it. Serena had finally said it, and yet the world was the same as it always had been, except that she had never seen Augustine smile so big.

"See? That wasn't so hard!" he said jubilantly.

"Yeah, it's not hard for you. And I thought you didn't need to hear me say it!"

"I don't, but you wanted to," said Augustine knowingly. "I was just helping you along."

"You're such a sappy dork, Augustine," said Serena, and she leaned in to kiss him again.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N**: Hey everyone! I just want to apologize really quickly for not updating as often as I would like to (or should be *chuckles nervously*) I have a home improvement project going on, lots of knitting to do, and the new job is sucking up a lot of my time and energy. I still intend to write all thirty oneshots/ficlets/drabbles for this fanfic challenge, though, and I've changed the title to more accurately reflect this development. They'll be posted when they're written as I deal with real life and maybe toss around some ideas for more multichapter projects in the future.

**TEN**

* * *

_Character B has lost everything. Their home, their car, every possession they could not cram into a bag before it was all taken away. Unable to go to anyone else, Character B ends up going to Character A and pleading for temporary refuge until they can get back on their feet and find the money again to recover from their loss. _

* * *

Augustine sat there, blanket draped around his shoulders and a cup of tea in his hand, as he stared into space. Around him, officers rushed around the police station, but he was numb to that. Only a few thoughts played in his head on a loop: it was all gone, his apartment was gone, everything he owned was gone, it had all burned down, and he didn't know what was going to happen next. He didn't want to speak to another police officer or firefighter about what happened. There were only so many ways he could recount what he witnessed: reading his book, hearing the fire alarm, and rushing out as fast as he could before flames engulfed the building.

At least he was alive, he told himself.

After sitting in the police station for an hour and a half, the front door opened to reveal Serena, looking worried and in a rush. She paused, scanned the room, and rushed over to Augustine and threw her arms around him.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" she asked, relieved but still frantic.

"Much better now that you're here," responded Augustine. He wasn't lying; Serena was truly a sight for sore eyes, and her embrace was a small comforting gesture that made him feel like everything would be all right.

"Good. I was a little scared when the police called me and told me what happened, but I felt a little better when they told me you were alive and they were bringing you here for the time being." Serena looked around the room some more, seeing other people who also sat with blankets and cups of tea, and on by the receptionist's desk before returning her gaze to Augustine. Her eyes clearly expressed her concern for him.

Augustine looked back at her, feeling a small hint of gratitude that at least she was here. All of his material possessions may have been gone, but he had his Pokemon, and he had Serena – all of them, especially her, were what he felt like he truly could not live without. His mouth curved slightly, trying to form a smile but stopping prematurely.

"I have nowhere to stay. _Chérie_, if it's not too much of a burden –"

"You're not a burden. Stay with me as long as you need to." Serena cut him off, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. "Let's go."

* * *

Although his spending the night with Serena was a common occurrence in their relationship, that evening in particular had a much different mood to it. Augustine felt exhausted, and he wanted to fall to the floor and cry when he saw he had a spare set of pajamas in her closet and a toothbrush in the bathroom. The following day would be Sunday – usually a relaxing day for him, but he imagined spending that day surfing the web to find a new apartment. Or maybe it was time for a house. It didn't matter now; he would decide in the morning. It took all of his energy to just change into his pajamas, brush his teeth, and fall into bed with Serena curled up next to him. His last waking thoughts were about the future, specifically his personal future. He couldn't imagine what his life would be like later on down the road; right now all he could focus on was that he was lying in bed, with his girlfriend next to him, and he felt anxious and uncertain.

The next day was filled with Serena taking him to buy some essentials, mostly clothes and toiletries. Once they returned to the apartment, Serena made a space in her closet for his things, even if it meant picking out roughly half of her clothes and storing them in bins for the time being.

"You don't have to do that!" Augustine objected.

"I barely wore those anymore anyway," she said simply as she shoved the bin full of her things back into the closet.

Augustine shrugged, then set to work hanging his new clothes in the space she had created for them. She was being so kind to him, he thought; of course, he would do the same for her in a heartbeat. Seeing his shirts and pants hanging up next to her clothes was like seeing one of his wildest fantasies come true, and it just looked so natural, as if the two of them were meant to share a living space.

This was only a temporary living arrangement, he reminded himself … then again, it didn't necessarily have to be.

* * *

Before he knew it, Augustine had his own spaces in drawers and cabinets for his sparse material possessions, the leftovers and products of his cooking filled the refrigerator and freezer, and he was starting to leave an imprint in the bed. Waking up next to Serena in the morning was already one of his favorite things, even if it was soon followed by a slightly lengthier walk to the laboratory. Although he spent plenty of his down-time searching for a new place to live, Serena didn't seem to be in too much of a hurry to get him out of there.

Augustine's apartment building could not have picked a worse time to burn down; things were not going well for Lumiose real estate, evident by the very few places available for sale or rent in the city. He first checked the building where Serena lived, only to find that there was nothing available for rent. From there, he stumbled upon apartment upon house upon condo that was either out of his price range or not the quality of living he wanted to experience. He was torn between hating himself for being picky, and asking himself why a man of his age and prestige should be forced to settle.

"No. I think you should live on the streets before you live there." Serena commented as she looked at pictures of a townhome with him on her laptop. This townhome in particular looked old, but had absolutely none of the charm of any of Lumiose's other historical buildings.

"Agreed. Besides, it says here that no Pokemon are permitted," added Augustine, pointing to the text on the screen. "I dedicated my life to studying and helping Pokemon, so I would like to have them in my home when I can."

"You could always buy a house in Camphrier or Santalune and commute," suggested Serena.

"_Non_, I enjoy big city life. And I would be too far away from you."

Serena shrugged. "It was just a suggestion."

Augustine scrolled through some more listings, until he saw one for an apartment that at a glance looked promising. He selected it and read over the details.

"Two bed, two bath, Pokemon allowed … ah, that price! I would need a roommate."

"Ooh, yeah. That's a high rent for one person to deal with by themselves," said Serena. "Is there anyone who might be interested in rooming with you?"

Augustine took her eyes off her and gazed back at the computer screen. There was someone he wanted to live with him in this apartment: her. He looked at the pictures, imagining them eating dinner at that dining table in a room with muted green walls, watching TV and cuddling on that cushy-looking couch, and sleeping under that navy blue duvet in the master bedroom – well, the duvet would need to be some color other than navy blue.

"Yes … erm, Serena … what if _you_ moved into this apartment with me?"

Serena stared at him, confused. After a small pause she said "Are you sure about that?"

"Why not? We've been living together these past few weeks and we've gotten on just fine! I was just wondering, maybe you'd want to live with me for real in a place we can call ours. It's the next logical step for us to take as a couple. There'd be more space too."

Biting her lip, Serena looked around the living room for a moment. Augustine couldn't figure out what she was thinking just by looking at her face. Was she seriously considering it, or was she attached to this apartment and not ready to leave it yet? He started to wonder if he should have even said anything to her about it.

"I have been debating whether or not to renew my lease. It does expire next month," she said thoughtfully. Her eyes glanced at the computer screen, then looked at Augustine again. "You really want to do this? If this is really what you want, I'll do it."

Augustine smiled. "There isn't anyone else in the world I'd rather have as a roommate."

Serena returned his smile and leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder.

"We'll have to go see it first, to see if it's really as great as the pictures make it out to be."

"Of course," said Augustine, still stunned that Serena agreed. He felt like a gnawing, soul-crushing weight had been lifted off his chest, and it hadn't sunk in yet that him and Serena moving in together was actually going to happen, provided everything worked out. His smile turned into a big grin, followed by him kissing the side of Serena's head.

"That duvet in the master bedroom's gotta go. Worst shade of navy blue ever."

"Agreed," said Augustine, draping an arm around Serena and pulling her closer to him.

"And we need to make sure the building is fireproof." Serena added jokingly.

Augustine chortled in response.


	11. Chapter 11

**ELEVEN**

"It's impressive, Miss Carlyle, that you've made it this far."

Serena stood in Augustine's office, across the desk from a man who was wearing a charcoal three-piece suit. This man's dark hair was slicked back, accentuating his prominent cheekbones and strong jawline. In the chair in front of this man sat Augustine, hands cuffed in front of him, and flanked by two people in black uniforms that had a large red "R" emblazoned across the front of them.

"I'm flattered that you're impressed, Mister …." Serena said as if she was casually conversing with a friend and not the leader of a criminal organization that had once made a name for itself in Kanto and Johto. She saw the TV reports and the news headlines growing up, but she had never really encountered Team Rocket until they had come here to Kalos.

"Alphonse. Call me Alphonse."

"Alphonse? What happened to Giovanni?"

"He, uh, retired," said Alphonse skittishly. "But that's ancient history." He glanced down at Augustine and then over to the shelf along the wall that held the Professor's Mega Stone collection. From there he walked down the shelf, running the tips of his fingertips along the top of each stone. "It's adorable, how you think you can stop me," Alphonse added with a menacing smirk.

"Please. You're not the first group of criminals I've dealt with … but you're definitely the better dressed of the two," said Serena.

Alphonse chuckled in response. "Serena … how can you condone this man's selfishness?" He gestured to Augustine, who responded with a look of frustration and puzzlement.

"Just how am I being selfish?" asked Augustine, raising an eyebrow.

"These Mega Stones – and Mega Evolution – allow a Pokemon such power, and yet these stones all sit here in a laboratory, in a _collection, _to be admired and studied but never used. They belong to Pokemon Trainers the world over, and Team Rocket will be sure to deliver," said Alphonse, his tone even yet bursting with passion.

"Yes, to the highest bidder," mumbled Augustine indignantly.

"And Professor Sycamore, I would like you to help us in this endeavor," continued Alphonse as he glared at Augustine.

"I would rather drink Arbok venom every day for the rest of my life."

Serena watched as the two men stared daggers at one another: Alphonse determined to scare Augustine into submission, and Augustine adamant in defending his life's work and integrity. She looked to Alphonse's belt: three Pokeballs there. She could take him, perhaps remind him that Mega Evolution was the ultimate manifestation of the bond between a Pokemon and their Trainer and not some commodity to be bought and sold ….

"Oh, I forgot to mention," she interjected. "Augustine there is my boyfriend, and if you think I'm going to let you kidnap or bully or coerce him, then you're sorely mistaken." She pulled Greninja's Pokeball off her belt. Augustine's expression shifted into one of confidence, and he gave her an affirming nod.

"You really think that you can change my mind just by winning a Pokemon battle?" Alphonse asked with a derisive snort.

"Who knows?" replied Serena. A battle may not change his mind, she thought, but it should at least keep him busy until the police arrived.

"Fine." Alphonse plucked a Pokeball off his belt and sent out a Golem. Serena's Greninja emerged from his ball, and the two Pokemon looked at each other intensely.

"Use Water Shuriken!" Serena commanded. Greninja launched the projectiles at his opponent; two of them missed, and the third one landed a hit. Golem took some damaged, but was still standing.

"Golem, use Stone Edge," said Alphonse coolly. Golem stomped on the floor, sending sharp spires of rock jutting upwards under Greninja's feet. Greninja leaped up and out of the way just in time, bouncing off a wall as he went.

"Greninja, Hydro Pump!" The Water-type blasted the torrent of water and landed a direct hit, fainting Golem. Alphonse let out a low growl, and sent out an Electabuzz next.

"Thunderbolt!" commanded Alphonse. Electabuzz released its attack, hitting Greninja square in the middle. Greninja stumbled, letting out a groan of pain, and wisps of smoke rose from the resulting electrical burn on his shoulder.

Greninja prepared himself to use Night Slash; however, Electabuzz was faster and used Protect to raise a force field around itself, so Night Slash struck and destroyed the force field instead of hitting Electabuzz. Serena cursed under her breath.

With another Thunderbolt, Electabuzz fainted Greninja, and Serena sent out Lucario next. Two Aura Spheres and one missed Thunderbolt later, Electabuzz fainted.

Alphonse looked at his last Pokeball thoughtfully, then over to the shelf of Mega Stones. He walked over to the shelf, picked up a Mega Stone, and approached Augustine. "You wouldn't mind if I borrowed this, would you?" he said as he picked a Mega Ring up off the desk and slid it onto his finger. When his back was turned, Augustine gave Alphonse a contempt-filled glare.

Serena withdrew Lucario and sent out Charizard, just as Alphonse sent out his final Pokemon: Pinsir. Alphonse handed the Mega Stone – Pinsirite – to Pinsir, and then pressed his finger to the stone set into the Mega Ring. The pink light was slow to build, but it soon enveloped Pinsir, formed into a sphere and then exploded to reveal Mega Pinsir.

Mega Pinsir had to be one of the most terrifying things Serena had ever seen; she couldn't decide if the massive wings, the sharp teeth, or menacing-looking eyes were the scariest thing about it. She noticed Augustine looking at Mega Pinsir with a mix of awe, scientific curiosity, and fear.

"I want to experience it for myself," said Alphonse, his voice filled with exhilaration as he looked on at Mega Pinsir with pride.

With a smirk, Serena touched the stone inside her own Mega Ring, and the pink light instantly formed around Charizard. When Mega Charizard emerged, Alphonse's eyes widened in fear as he realized the advantage did not belong to him.

Both Trainers yelled out commands at the same time: Alphonse commanded Pinsir to use Guillotine, while Serena called for Fire Blast. Fire Blast proved more successful as the burst of flames enveloped Pinsir and fainted the Bug-type in one super-effective hit.

"NO! You – you didn't even give me a chance!" raged Alphonse as he recalled the fainted Pinsir. "And I'm still not going anywhere! You can't change my mind! I'm going to keep this Mega Stone, and Team Rocket will sell the rest for profit!"

From outside the laboratory, Serena heard police sirens growing louder and louder. The sirens were soon followed by someone speaking through a megaphone.

_"This is the Lumiose City Police. We have the building and skies surrounded. Come out with your hands up and all Pokemon visible."_

"Maybe they can change your mind," Serena retorted confidently, inclining her head upward towards the ceiling. Panic flashed across Alphonse's face; he looked up at the ceiling, then stared out the window to see the police vehicles in the street and officers on the sidewalk surrounding the lab.

Alphonse's eyes darted around the room frantically, and the grunts watched him in anticipation. Serena's eyes met Augustine's, and the two held one another's gaze for a moment. She could sense how tense he was, and she felt it too. In her opinion there was no telling what Team Rocket was going to try next.

A Holo Caster beeped, and Alphonse answered his.

"_Hey boss, what are we gonna do? They've got us surrounded and the only way out leads to the slammer!"_ the holographic image of a grunt said anxiously.

"I'm aware … hmm …." More police sirens blared outside. Alphonse waited for them to quiet down before speaking again. "If the blueprints of this laboratory are accurate, then I believe we can utilize the 'Twitchy Raticate' escape plan. Spread the word and have everyone move out now." Alphonse hung up, then turned to his grunts. "Bag the stones and Smokescreen the room. It's time we made our exit."

"But boss, what about him?" asked the female grunt, pointing to Augustine. The male grunt picked up a duffel bag off the floor and made his way to the shelf, tossing Mega Stones into the bag.

"There's no time!" snapped Alphonse.

With a shrug, the female grunt sent out her Koffing and commanded it to use Smokescreen. Koffing released large volumes of thick black smoke into the air, completely obscuring Serena's vision and making it difficult for her to breathe. She heard Augustine coughing intensely nearby, and she soon dropped to her knees to have her own fit of coughs. Something kicked her side as she was bent over, and she heard something fall to the floor with a _thud, _followed by the sound of the male grunt cursing under his breath. It was amazing that the Rockets would be able to navigate their way through the smoke, she thought as the smoke stung her eyes and she closed them.

After a few moments, she heard a hoarse voice call out to her. "Serena?"

She slowly opened her eyes, seeing that most of the smoke had cleared and only a thin haze remained. Augustine gazed at her from where he sat at his desk, and he appeared both relieved and worried. Serena looked around; the Rockets were gone, but to her surprise the black duffel bag lay on the floor mere inches from her position.

Serena reached out, grabbed the bag, and pulled it to herself. She opened it and looked inside to see all of the Mega Stones inside. Team Rocket must have had low standards when it came to recruiting grunts, she thought.

"Thank goodness you were kidnapped by a bunch of complete idiots," she chortled, standing up and walking over to the desk. She placed the bag on top of the desk and walked over to Augustine, and then she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Thank goodness you came to save me," said Augustine.

Serena smiled and held him tighter. She felt Augustine's knuckles graze against her stomach as he tried to initiate some physical contact while handcuffed, and she wondered if Alphonse had made off with the key to the cuffs.

She pushed herself away slightly, but then leaned back in to kiss him on the lips. When the kiss ended, Serena glanced over to the bag of Mega Stones on the table. "You think they'll come back once they notice they've lost the stones?" she asked before looking out the window at the scene down on the street.

The Lumiose City Police had the lab surrounded, with officers and their Pokemon on the sidewalk and cars on the street, red and blue lights flashing. Right there on the sidewalk, a hole opened in the ground; a Raticate was the first to emerge, followed by the head of a Team Rocket grunt. That grunt saw the police force and dropped back into the hole so quickly Serena could have sworn that the grunt instantly disappeared into thin air. A Diggersby leaped into the hole, and a matter of seconds later several members of Team Rocket came flying out of the hole onto the sidewalk.

"Yeah, they're a bunch of idiots," Serena commented with a smirk as one officer shoved a handcuffed Alphonse into the back of a police car. Augustine stood up and joined her at the window, and she leaned her head against his arm.

"Nobody messes with my boyfriend and gets away with it," she added, reaching over to hold one of his hands. Her fingers grazed over the cool metal handcuff around his wrist.

"One of many reasons why I love you," said Augustine as he craned his neck to kiss the top of her head. "Now, _chèrie_, can we go meet with the police? I would love to have these handcuffs removed."


End file.
